Well I don't have to bother with a bag, I won't be attending any games.

Baseball is boring enough. Its horribly slow watching a team that can't hit the broad sign of a barn.

Sounds like Nick Swisher is close to a deal with the Indians..

Who does that leave.. Bourne? Chone Figgins part 2?

Yech.

(take it all with a grain of salt, as i've said.. im not a huge baseball fan). They need to instrument a salary cap in the MLB. Doesn't seem fair that the Angels signed both Pujols and Hamilton back to back. They are Yankees west.

Michael Bourn isn't Chone Figgins part 2. He's a completely different human being with a different future ahead of him. They just happen to share similar skillsets. He'd be a fine signing and would upgrade the offense, leading off for a lineup in desperate need of a hitter who can get on base.

That said, I'll be disappointed if they don't sign Swisher or trade for someone (Upton isn't a free agent, he's just been on the trading block).

I am so frustrated with how irrelevant and lousy the Mariners are. I think, with a decent FO, Jack Z could be really good, but Lincoln and co. have just completely handcuffed the guy. The M's offense is gonna be last in the league again. My goodness.

Why would swisher come here? We would need to make a trade for a bigger bat and then go get swisher. He does not want to be the "guy" here. It's hard when FA's don't want to come play against Texas and the Angels more than they have too. Trade the farm for proven hitters or sit back and collect top 5 draft pics year in and year out.

I don't understand this infatuation with "big" bats. The Giants were last in home runs last season and all they did was win the world series. The Mariner's don't need "big" bats (though their nice to have), they need good bats.

425HawkSpark wrote:Why would swisher come here? We would need to make a trade for a bigger bat and then go get swisher. He does not want to be the "guy" here. It's hard when FA's don't want to come play against Texas and the Angels more than they have too. Trade the farm for proven hitters or sit back and collect top 5 draft pics year in and year out.

And to that point, it appears the Ms offered Hamilton 4 years 100 million with a vested 5th AND 6th year for average number of plate appearances. This is a better offer than he got from the Angels.

Hate the Ms all you want, but as Seahawk fans we know know what its like when free agent after free agent turns us down. The Ms are no different it appears.

425HawkSpark wrote:It's hate with the FO not the mariners in general. The Seahawks get some FA the mariners get nobody on a top teir. We need to face it we are no A's we can't win with 30 million.

Yes, the ms have struggled to bring in quality FAs since the Beltre/Sexson deals (of which many forget)... but again we just offered Hamilton roughly 150 million. And he said no. The Ms don't want to be the As. They may have no choice

The M's have trouble attracting talent because if a FA has any other option he he will take it. Unlike the Hawks the M's don't have a great FO or on field. They won't overspend to show a commitment to winning ( which they will,have to do at first)

I see the continued decline in attendance and hopefully soon them selling the team. Running a team with a host of owners is difficult at best

Do you guys have any idea how miserable it was being in Toronto all week listening to the local media gush about all of the Blue Jays offseason additions? When not talking hockey lockout the other 99% of the time, they were talking about Jose Reyes, Mark Buerhle, Josh Johnson, Melky Cabrera, and then just for kicks traded for R.A. Dickey.

I walked through the Jays team store and the workers were trying to figure out how to make more room for jerseys and t-shirts for all the new players. I watched as I imagined a similar conversation take place at the M's team store. One where their employees discussed what Mariners were actually worthy of making shirts for, and exactly how embarrassing it is to feature the Jason Bay shirts as the hot new item.

425HawkSpark wrote:It's hate with the FO not the mariners in general. The Seahawks get some FA the mariners get nobody on a top teir. We need to face it we are no A's we can't win with 30 million.

Yes, the ms have struggled to bring in quality FAs since the Beltre/Sexson deals (of which many forget)... but again we just offered Hamilton roughly 150 million. And he said no. The Ms don't want to be the As. They may have no choice

They've (FO) dug their own grave, though. 10 years since the playoffs and an amazing string of terrible signings/trades, the Mariners are like the Jacksonville Jaguars of MLB, and who would want to play for the Jaguars?

Sarlacc, on comparing .NET to Soccer: And why not? It's a bunch of people running around in circles, feigning pain, and never scoring.

425HawkSpark wrote:It's hate with the FO not the mariners in general. The Seahawks get some FA the mariners get nobody on a top teir. We need to face it we are no A's we can't win with 30 million.

Yes, the ms have struggled to bring in quality FAs since the Beltre/Sexson deals (of which many forget)... but again we just offered Hamilton roughly 150 million. And he said no. The Ms don't want to be the As. They may have no choice

They've (FO) dug their own grave, though. 10 years since the playoffs and an amazing string of terrible signings/trades, the Mariners are like the Jacksonville Jaguars of MLB, and who would want to play for the Jaguars?

Just think... right now the M's could have a starting rotation of: 1- Felix 2- Brandon Morrow 3- Doug Fister 4- R.A. Dickey 5- Jason Vargas/Michael Pineda, and still had the same shitty offense they have now. But they'd have the best rotation in the game. The fact the Uncle Fester turned 5 of those guys into one upside major league hitter (Montero) and one downside of his career major league hitter (Kendrys Morales) speaks volumes about his ability. He's Ruskellian in his ability to find offensive talent.

SharkHawk wrote:Just think... right now the M's could have a starting rotation of: 1- Felix 2- Brandon Morrow 3- Doug Fister 4- R.A. Dickey 5- Jason Vargas/Michael Pineda, and still had the same shitty offense they have now. But they'd have the best rotation in the game. The fact the Uncle Fester turned 5 of those guys into one upside major league hitter (Montero) and one downside of his career major league hitter (Kendrys Morales) speaks volumes about his ability. He's Ruskellian in his ability to find offensive talent.

Screw brandon marrow. They should have drafted the uw kid instead. Idiots

CPHawk wrote:The sad thing is Raul would have been our best bat the last 3 years. I like the move, at least better then Swisher.

Well last year he quite definely would not have been our best bat, not even close really. Especially after park adjustments.

But hell yeah 2007!

You're right, he only hit 250 and had 19 hr last year, but would have still been one of our top 2-3 (Montero 260 and 15 hr, Seager 259 20hr) guys at 39. Of course in the post season he hit 318 with 3 more HR.

SharkHawk wrote:Just think... right now the M's could have a starting rotation of: 1- Felix 2- Brandon Morrow 3- Doug Fister 4- R.A. Dickey 5- Jason Vargas/Michael Pineda, and still had the same shitty offense they have now. But they'd have the best rotation in the game. The fact the Uncle Fester turned 5 of those guys into one upside major league hitter (Montero) and one downside of his career major league hitter (Kendrys Morales) speaks volumes about his ability. He's Ruskellian in his ability to find offensive talent.

Screw brandon marrow. They should have drafted the uw kid instead. Idiots

I would have agreed with you up until last year Dom. Morrow has seemingly overcome his troubles with diabetes and turned into a really good pitcher. Lincecum has now been booted to the bullpen and it looks as if the Giants have no interest in putting him back in the rotation. They think he's pulled a Rick Ankiel and "lost it". But if I had that draft pick I would have taken Lincecum and not even have had to think about it for sure. He was dominant, and I still think he can be great. But just going off of who was actually on our roster, Morrow is a guy that has developed, as has Fister. R.A. Dickey won a freaking CY Young (and Lincecum won a couple as well).

I just don't get what Mariners management is doing. I think you and I could take over the team and do a much better job. At least we'd give a crap about the fans.

Bummed about missing out on swisher. Raul has no significant place on this team... at 1.25 million. But at 2+? We have to play him. Doh Boy would love this move, as it defies the mathematical aspects of baseball and belies the emotional. No swisher means if we are getting another bat it will via trade. And the outfield still isn't complete? Bourne seems hopeful.

We still need another pitcher (there are actually quite a few options) a legitimate outfielder and hopefully a true middle of the line up bat. If not we are relying a lot on ackely, smoak, seager and montero to exceed expectations... and that's just to get to 80+ wins.

I really wanted swisher, just for stabalization. Now we will have to see what Jack Z can do...

Fester seriously thinks that he can flip flop Kendrys Morales and Jesus Montero depending on whose hot and we'll have the middle of the line-up bat.

Remember when Edgar wasn't hitting clean-up? Who built that team after all? I mean we had a team so good that a really excellent middle infielder and 3rd baseman in Mark McLemore was platooning at a different position each day to get his at-bats. This team would be lucky if they had ONE player as good as McLemore to come off the bench... in fact, they'd be lucky to have a starter in the middle infield as good as McLemore. I know the statheads here, but the guy had intangibles too. I say he should get a shot at coaching. He understand every aspect of the game. I'd start following them much closer if he got a gig as even a fielding coach, but right now he's working for the rangers. Bring Mac home!

I also wish they'd let Edgar spend more than the 3-4 days he spends with the guys in spring training on hitting instruction. I'd love it if he came to the park at least once per series while at home to work with certain players. I don't think he has the interest in coaching full time, but I've also heard him speak about his willingness to do whatever the team wanted to help out. I think they are trying to prove they can do it their own way, and that's the definition of insanity. It just doesn't work.

Don't get me wrong. I think in many ways, Wedge has coached the heck out of this team, and if he gets fired after this season I will mail all Mariners items I own to needs kids in Honduras who just need clothes. They scapegoat right up from a base coach, to a hitting coach, and then to a manager, and start all over again every 3-4 years. It is embarrassing. The Chuckles and Howard show needs to leave town permanently. Put Gillick in charge of all baseball operations, let him pick his scouts, his GM, his eventual successor and let things build in the right way. Pat Gillick can find this team's John Schneider, and that guy can find the players we need. Gillick was brilliant at finding scrap heapers and using them as helpers to the superstars, but his team always had stars on it that shined even brighter due to the McLemore's and Mike Cameron's, and John Olerud's of the world who were steady, affordable, and weren't signed to 10 year contracts, but were typically signed to 3 year deals at a number that was fair to both sides.

I still think one of the reasons Edgar hasn't became a hitting coach for the mariners is its a doomed position and hitting coaches come and go a lot. Nobody would want to see Edgar get canned, most of the times when hitting coaches get fired its not their fault but more lack of player talent.

It would be a huge PR mistake if something like that were to happen while he's still trying to get voted into the hall.

So yes I would love to see him try to help the hitters but not as the main hitting coach. Not yet at least.

Yeah, that's why I think he'd be ideal as a guy that just helped out at times. Just getting together with the guys when they returned from road trips so he didn't have to travel and work with the hitters that were having struggles. I've heard guys speak about how valuable the few days he spends with them at spring training is, so why not turn it into a roving instructor type gig on his own time table and terms. I know he watches the games and can pick out when guys are struggling and what would help, but in his words, the team has never asked him to do more than appear at spring training and get guys going on a BP regiment. That's a real waste of a resource. He spends most of his time doing foundation stuff and hanging out with his family, but I know he'd help out whenever he was asked. They just don't bother, which really irks me. I know Buhner comes in and helps sometimes, but he wasn't exactly the master of form hitting. He had a weird stance and is kind of just a goof. I loved him as a player, but never envisioned him as a coach. Edgar went through different stances depending on how he needed to adjust his timing and was able to work through any bad streaks quickly by making adjustments. That's a guy you need to hop in once in a while and help out. I don't think he has any interest in traveling with a team and working with them full time. Maybe somewhere down the road he will. But I don't see it happening, especially not with the freakshow we have running the organization.